DUCHY FOOTBALL LEAGUE

The first meeting of the Duchy Football League took place in Bodmin in 1965 and the League ran for the first time that year with fourteen teams. The League was formed when the St.Austell and District and the Liskeard and District Leagues met with the Bodmin and District League to discuss football in the Eastern half of Cornwall. The St.Austell and Liskeard Leagues agreed to amalgamate to form the Duchy Football League, but the Bodmin League stayed as a separate competition, and then eventually folded
as a number of it's clubs left to join the new successful competition.

Numerous clubs have come and gone over the years with a few clubs moving up through into Senior Football. After many years of trying the League eventually gained an agreement with the East Cornwall Premier League to have automatic promotion and relegation between the League's providing ground and facility criteria are met.

Many well known men have had a hand in the running of the League over the years. In the early years Mr. P.M. Bartlett was President with Mr. W. Gunn as Chairman and Mr. S. Parnell as Secretary. The two men who really guided the League in its infancy were Mr. Tristan Scott (1974-1996) and Mr Len Lobb who was Secretary from (1970-1981). Other officers who helped in its progression are Messrs Rivers, Cutler, Truscott, Blake, Pickeard, Reed, Collings, Monk, Borman, Maynard, James, Yeo, Adkins and Husband.


Today's Management team has been in place for many seasons. John Cudlipp took over as Secretary from 1983 until 2000 when he stepped down to Assistant Secretary for health reasons. It has been his association with Mike Newcombe who took over as Secretary coupled with his long standing role as Registrations Secretary that has seen the League become the largest in Cornwall with over 2700 players registered and ninety teams in membership as of season 2003/2004. The other present day officers, Chairman Paul Stevens, Vice Chairman Colin Burrell, Treasurer Phil Edworthy and Fixtures Secretary Colin Atkins are also long serving and well respected members of this progressive League.


The biggest change came in 1994 when the League was re-constituted to accept Cornish teams that had been playing in Devon back into Cornish football. In this one season, outside clubs were allowed into higher divisions based on their respective finishing places in the Plymouth Leagues. The League now has teams competing from Newquay in the West to Launceston in the East, and back along the coast from Saltash in the South East to St.Mawes in the West. The League has become so popular and successful it has also attracted five clubs from West Devon into membership.

The League has been indebted to sponsors, which helps keep its finances in a healthy state. Currently Bodmin Sports Trophies sponsor the League competitions and Jefferys Estate Agents sponsor the Knock Out Cup trophy.